Twenty-three sailors were safely evacuated on Tuesday after a bulk carrier suffered severe damage in a collision north of Iran’s Qeshm Island, Iranian media reported.
The vessel, carrying 23 foreign crew members, sustained major damage to the middle section of its hull and began taking on water after the maritime incident, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.
The captain ordered the crew to abandon ship, and all sailors were successfully rescued and transported to Qeshm Island.
Rescue teams prevent further danger
Authorities in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas received reports of the collision early Tuesday and immediately launched a maritime response operation.
A pilot boat and a tugboat were dispatched in coordination with the Hormuzgan Province Maritime Search and Rescue Center to assist the damaged vessel and assess the situation.
Preliminary findings indicated that the bulk carrier collided with another vessel at sea, though officials have not yet determined the cause of the accident.
Incident comes amid regional tensions
The rescue operation took place as security concerns remain elevated around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, amid heightened tensions in the region.
Iranian state media also reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Kish Island and Qeshm Island earlier Tuesday, although details about those incidents were not immediately available.
The maritime accident comes after renewed hostilities following the collapse of a ceasefire framework between the United States and Iran that had been brokered by Qatar and Pakistan in June.
